THE MONITORY AND EPISTOLARY EXERCISE воок, IN TWO PARTS: 'PART 1ST, CONSISTING OF PROSE & POETRY, ORIGINAL AND SELECTED; STRIKING MAXIMS AND MORAL PRECEPTS: PART 2ND, FORMS OF FAMILIAR NOTES, COMMERCIAL & VACATION LETTERS, BILLS, RECEIPTS, &c. &c. DESIGNED FOR THE USE OF SCHOOLS. BY JOHN HAMPSON, MASTER OF BURY-ST. ACADEMY, SALFORD, MANCHESTER. In the great Laboratory of the world, each has some Task On donne des counseils, mais on ne donne point la sagesse Guided by truth our youth shall nobly rise, TRUTH Is the unerring guide which leads to the practice of every civil, moral, and religious duty. "E'en life hath Monitory Tasks; and youth's brief hours The founts of joy where pilgrims rest from toil, The soul's pure flame the breath of storms must fan, Mrs. Hemen's Sceptic; a Poem. PREFATORY ADVERTISEMENT. To Parents and Teachers. Ir is presumed that every parent and experienced teacher will readily admit, that youth are influenced, principally, by example; yet, if the conduct of young persons be not, in some degree, guided and supported by sound principles, it is apt to become unsteady as well as wrong. While, therefore, youth are led by good example, their reason ought to be enlightened and armed in defence of their virtue. The most effectual mode by which this is to be accomplished, as connected with their education, is to impress on their minds, as early as possible, simple truths, striking precepts, and useful maxims, in clear and forcible language. Young persons should be early accustomed to reflection. For, if the habit be neglected in youth, manhood is too much occupied with cares and anxious pursuits to acquire it; and in age reflection often comes too late. He who in age begins to reflect, only because he is obliged to retire from the world, most commonly reflects in sorrow. Employment is the best antidote against vice: let the minds of youth therefore be seasonably and properly cul tivated, and they will be preserved, in a great measure, from vice and bad habits. Many of the maxims and precepts have been repeatedly impressed upon the minds of the senior scholars; and as they cannot be too early inculcated, or too often repeated, in order to give the expanding mind a right bias, and to form and influence the future character, the editor feels confident, that in presenting young pupils in general with this "Monitory and Epistolary Exercise Book," he is rendering them an essential service. Early impressions are most lasting; and bad habits are easily acquired, but eradicated with difficulty; and the difficulty increases the longer youth are allowed to indulge in them. The duty of watching over the tender mind, of leading and directing the rising genius, and of correcting disorderly habits and bad dispositions, devolves upon parents and teachers, and the success of their exertions will depend, almost entirely, on their co-operation. When it is considered that the future character of youth is greatly influenced by habits formed in early life, and by the ruling and predominant dispositions, which are naturally too often in favour of what is hurtful and wrong, it is hoped that all parents will see the necessity of timely admonition. And probably much trouble and severe discipline may be dispensed with, by storing young minds with useful maxims and precepts, the manifest tendency of which is, to inculcate principles of honour and virtue, and to hold in abhorrence whatever is mean or vicious. PREFATORY ADVERTISEMENT. To attain this object the author recommends that the following pages should be used as exercises, the frequent transcription of which will indelibly impress the precepts and maxims on the minds of young pupils. But there is another, though secondary object, contemplated by this little work. Teachers of writing must have observed how much more easily children are taught to write, than they are to read what they write. The first part of this work will furnish matter to be transcribed on slates, in such portions as may suit the abilities of each pupil. As soon as he commences writing small hand, he should be required to copy neatly on his slate, one, two, or three sentences daily, and it will be found how easily the quantity may be increased to a page. The usual practice of putting into the hands of young scholars false spelling exercises, the author considers injurious, rather than beneficial. Presenting a child with distorted words, induces a habit of inventing methods of spelling, which must be very pernicious. The second part of this work is intended for more advanced pupils. The notes and letters should be transcribed fairly and neatly into their copy-books. After the whole have been repeatedly copied, it may reasonably be hoped that the pupil will be qualified to produce originals. JOHN HAMPSON. Salford, April 12th, 1841. |